GENEVA (Reuters) - The United Nations human rights chief said on Thursday (March 10) that the Russian government had indicated it would close his Moscow office, and he decried what he called the shrinking space for dissent.

In a speech, Mr Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva: "I am concerned about signals received from the government regarding its intention to close our presence in Moscow."

More cooperation with his office, rather than less, was needed "on the subject of the shrinking space for human rights defenders and non-governmental organisations", Mr Zeid said.

The Straits Times

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